


A Long Way to the Top

by sparklyturtle



Series: Just For One Day [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Olympivengers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-06-08 21:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6874747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklyturtle/pseuds/sparklyturtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a billionaire and a genius, there's not a whole lot that Leo Valdez hasn't already done. <br/>(He liked to look at being held hostage in a war-zone as a new experience.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Forget the hearse cause I'll never die

All Leo can see is darkness.

There’s yelling and cries in some other language he can’t understand, but he’s too busy trying to figure out why his hands are tied behind his back to try and decipher what they were saying.

The bag is ripped off of his head and he blinks at the sudden blaring light. When his eyes acclimatise, he realises he is surrounded by several heavily armed men with their guns pointed straight at him. There’s a camera facing him for some reason, but the man closest to him speaks to it, gesturing to Leo with his gun.

He grabs Leo’s hair and yanks it back, snarling down at him.

“Any last words, Mr Valdez?” he asks.

Leo strains to face the camera, the man still holding his head in a death-hold.

He smirks at the camera and winks.

“I’m the super-sized McShizzle, man.”


	2. Look so good I might die

_Las Vegas, 36 hours earlier_

“Visionary. Genius. American patriot.”

Gaia Stone smiles down at the people set out in front of her.

“Even from an early age, the son of legendary engineer, Esperanza Valdez, and grandson of my _dear_ friend, Sammy Valdez-” she lets a single tear trail down her cheek as she holds her hand to her heart. “-showed his brilliant and unique mind. At the age of four, he built his first circuit board, at six, his first engine, and at _seventeen_ he graduated _summa cum laude_ from MIT.

“In 1990, the whole world lost the giant Sammy Valdez to oesophageal cancer, and the following month, a fifteen year old boy was left without his mother,” Gaia shakes her head sadly as her audience seems to soften. “I, of course, stepped in to try and fill the gap left by the legendary father and daughter of engineering, but at the age of 21, the prodigal son returned to be named the new CEO of Valdez Industries.

“He brought with him a new era, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, and satellite targeting,” she smiles, nodding. “Today, he has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring the freedom of America. I have had the privilege to see him grow from a scared boy into a _truly_ wonderful man.”

She can see Hazel Levesque waving her hands wildly out of the corner of her eye, but disregards it. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honour to present this year’s Apogee Award to Mr Leo Valdez!”

Hazel’s groan can be heard from the stage.

“Leo?” Gaia says, looking around the hall.

Hazel leaps up and runs to the stage, shaking her head all the way. She tugs on her skirt as she makes her way up the steps and to the podium. The audience stares at her in confusion.

“Uh, thank you, Ms Stone,” Hazel says, taking the award from Gaia and looking it over. “This is beautiful, thank you. Thank you, uh, thank you very much.”

She blinks in the blinding spotlight. “Well, I’m not Leo Valdez, clearly,” she says, gesturing to herself and earning a laugh from the audience. “But I know that Leo would want you all to know how honoured he is and what a joy it is to receive this very prestigious award. You know Leo, though, he’s always working!”

She steps back to Gaia for pictures as the crowd applauds them.

“Where the hell is he?” Gaia mutters through her false smile, setting Hazel’s skin crawling. “Too busy getting drunk to show up?”

“Wherever he is,” Hazel growls. “I’m gonna kill him.”

*

“C’mon, Hazel, stay for a bit!”

“You’re unbelievable,” Hazel sighs as Leo puts some chips down. She was following him around some random casino, sighing as a gaggle of braindead girls throwing themselves at him, Coach Hedge floating around him.

“What’d they make you do?” he laughs, walking away from her.

“I had to receive the damn award, Leo,” she glares at her impish friend. “You know I hate speaking to crowds.”

She throws the award to him, which he catches around some random girl he’s flirting with.

“It’s ugly but, y’know,” he shrugs, glancing down at it when she walks away. “I don’t have one, I guess.”

Hazel laughs as Leo grins at her. “I’m out,” she says, shaking her head as she reaches over to kiss his cheek. “Don’t you _dare_ be late tomorrow, alright?”

“You can count on it,” he says, a smile playing on his lips as his friend walks away from him.

“I’m serious, Leo,” she warns, walking backwards. “I’ll break your Xbox if you don’t.”

“Harsh words, Haze,” he says, mock-wounded as she waves goodbye.

“Excuse me, Mr Valdez!”

Leo turns to face a beautiful yet terrifying looking lady holding a pen and notepad.

“Khione Snow,” Hedge mutters in his ear. “Vanity Fair.”

“Can I ask you a few questions, Mr Valdez?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s hot,” Leo mumbles before holding out a hand. “Yes, hi, go ahead.”

“You’ve been called the Da Vinci of our time,” she says, staring down at him from a height. He glances down to see she’s wearing six inch heels, and suddenly he doesn’t feel so bad. “What do you make of that?”

“Complete nonsense,” he snorts, beginning to walk away from her, sighing when she followed. “I can’t paint.”

“What about people calling you the Merchant of Death?” she says condescendingly.

“Meh,” he shrugs. “You Berkeley, then?”

“ _Brown_ ,” she growls, her shoulders tensing.

“Well, Miss _Brown_ , it’s an imperfect world,” Leo shrugged, picking up a glass of champagne from a passing waitress. “But it’s the only one we have, and the day weapons aren’t needed to protect it, I _promise_ , Miss Snow, my company will make bricks and beams for baby hospitals.”

“Rehearse that?” Khione says, flicking her long hair over her shoulder.

“Oh, every night before bedtime,” Leo smirks. “I could show you first hand.”

“I’d prefer a serious answer, Mr Valdez.”

“Alright,” he says, rubbing his nose. “My grandfather and mother helped defeat Nazis. They worked on the Manhattan Project. Many would call them heroes.”

“What’s your point?” she sighs.

“But a lot of people would call that war-profiteering,” Leo says, raising an eyebrow. “I doubt you’ll report on the millions we’ve saved with advanced medical technology?? Or those we’ve kept from starvation with our intelli-crops?”

“Wow,” Khione rolls her eyes at him. “Have you ever lost an hour of sleep in your entire life, Mr Valdez?”

“I’d be prepared to lose a few with you,” he winks at her.

Khione rolls her eyes and walks away without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Everybody Loves Me" by OneRepublic


	3. Stop stalling, make a name for yourself

_Dallas, Texas_

“Leo? Anybody?”

Squeaks and whistles come from the wall and Khione jumps with a yelp.

“That’s Festus,” a tall woman in white says. “He runs the house.”

“What happened?” Khione asks, pushing the hair out of her face. “Did we-“

“You passed out,” the woman says, a cold smile settling on her face. “I’ve got your clothes, dry-cleaned and pressed. There’s a car outside that will take you anywhere you want.”

“So you’re the famous Calypso Atlas, then,” Khione says, taking her clothes as the woman nods. “Leo still makes you pick up his laundry?”

“I do anything Mr Valdez needs,” Calypso says coldly, a nasty smile playing on her lips. “Including taking out the trash.”

*

“You’re not meant to be in here.”

Calypso rolls her eyes and turns down the blaring music.

Leo fiddles with a screw-driver, his face covered in oil.

Calypso sighs. God alone knows what time he’d come down to the lab at, but from the black rings under his eyes, Calypso could take a guess.

“And you’re meant to be halfway around the world right now,” she sighs, raising an eyebrow. “Your flight was scheduled to leave over an hour ago.”

“You’d think since it’s _my plane_ -” Leo says, glancing up at his assistant. “-that it’d wait for me to get there.”

“I need to talk to you about a few things before you leave,” Calypso says, handing out a towel for Leo to wipe the grease off his face.

“I mean, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having your own plane?”

“Mr Valdez, please focus,” she says, grinding her teeth as she glances down at her notes. He smirks up at her. “The MIT commencement speech-“

“Is in June,” Leo says, walking away from her. “I got it.”

“Well they’re lecturing _me_ about it now,” Calypso snaps. “So I’m gonna just say yes. I need you to sign this before you leave.”

She hands him a form which he stares at sceptically before raising an eyebrow up at her.

“You tryin’ to get rid of me?” Leo asks, pretending to be offended. “You got plans or something?”

“I’m allowed to on my birthday,” Calypso says, her lips in a thin line.

“It’s your birthday?” he cries, eyes widening. “I knew that. Uh, get yourself something nice from me.”

“I already did,” she hides a smile as he scratches nervously at the back of his neck. “Very nice, thank you, Mr Valdez.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Atlas,” he smirks, watching her as she walks away.

*

“I’m not mad. I’m indifferent.”

“C’mon, Hazel,” Leo says, trying his best not to laugh. “I said I was sorry, didn’t I?”

He reaches over and shakes the hand of his pilot who looks very confused.

“I said I was sorry,” he tells the man, gesturing to his friend.

“Good morning, Mr Valdez,” the man says, smiling more out of politeness than humour.

“No need to apologize,” Hazel says, straightening up.

“I told her I was sorry but-“

“And I told you that I’m just indifferent right now,” she says, staring straight ahead and inhaling deeply. “You clearly don’t respect yourself, so I know you don’t respect me.”

“Hazel-“

“I’m just your babysitter,” she says, walking towards the plane as Leo rolls his eyes. “So next time you need your diaper changed, let me know and I’ll get you a bottle or whatever, okay?”

“Get out the bourbon, will you?” Leo says to the air hostess as he boards behind Hazel.

“We’re not drinking, Leo,” she sighs. “We’re working. And you’re incapable of being responsible.”

“Bourbon?”

“Yes, two please,” Leo smiles at the air hostess as she hands him his glass.

He raises his eyebrows as he holds out a glass to Hazel. She stares at it contemplatively for a moment before glaring at him and grabbing it out of his hand.

“I hate you.”

*

“Y’know, I miss your grandpa.”

“Me too, Hazey,” Leo nods, his head lolling from side to side.

“Like,” Hazel slurred, her eyelids fluttering as she leans in Leo’s direction. “You always knew that he had your back, y’know?”

“Totally,” he nods, giggling when his drink spills from the glass. “He was just cool and like, he was really good at makin’ stuff?”

“Right?!” Hazel gasps, her eyes widening. “Like, if it wasn’t for him then I never would’ve gone to MIT, y’know?”

“You were his favourite,” Leo winks at her. “He never shut up about how brilliant you were.”

 “I really miss him, though.”

“Same,” Leo smiles softly, holding his now-empty glass high in the air. “To _abuelo_!”

“To _grand-père_!” Hazel cheers, her accent becoming thicker the more she drinks.

“ _Y para mamá_ ,” he says, his voice cracking.

“To Esperanza,” Hazel agrees, taking her friend’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “May they both be at peace wherever they are.”

“ _Eso espero,_ Hazel. I really hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines" by Panic! at the Disco


End file.
